The expiration of last year's income tax rates is costing the state $5 billion a year. The resulting tax breaks benefit the rich, and Gov. Rauner wants to fund them with budget cuts for the rest of us.

"The governor is wrong to propose a budget that gives billions in tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, while making billions in cuts to vital public services," AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said.

State comptroller Leslie Munger won't comply with Gov. Rauner's executive order to block fair-share fees for state employees because the order violates the law, the Capitol Fax newsletter and other media reports say. Attorney General Lisa Madigan agrees.

Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said that the union welcomed "recognition of the dangerous conditions in our state’s prisons," but strongly criticized the governor's policies that would drive down wages in the public and private sectors.

In Springfield, Chicago, Decatur, and the Quad Cities, labor leaders strongly criticized Bruce Rauner’s attempt to blame unions for the state’s economic woes. In Champaign, union members turned out to protest his appearance.

Lawyers for AFSCME and three other unions representing City of Chicago workers and retirees have asked a Circuit Court judge to halt implementation of a law that sharply reduces pension benefits in violation of the state constitution.

Delegates to the AFSCME Council 31 legislative conference set the union's agenda for the coming General Assembly, and heard speeches from Democratic state treasurer Mike Frerichs and Republican state senator Sam McCann.

AFSCME local union leaders at Logan Correctional Center are challenging a report that significantly downplayed the extent of violence at the facility. They've documented some 400 instances of violence against employees and other inmates.